VN, China discuss sea borders

HA NOI (VNS)— Vietnamese and Chinese experts discussed the sea area off the Tonkin Gulf during the fifth expert-level round of negotiations in Ha Noi on February 19 and 20.

The two sides confirmed their commitment to seriously implementing the common perception of Vietnamese and Chinese high-ranking leaders while strengthening talks on the delineation of the sea area off the gulf and finding ways to further cooperate for mutual development there.

The fifth round of negotiations covering cooperation on less sensitive sea issues between Viet Nam and China took place in Ha Noi at the same time.

The two sides reached an agreement on a cooperation plan to implement two projects. One is on joint research on the management of the marine and island environment in the Gulf of Tonkin and the other will conduct comparative research on sediment dating back to the Holocene epoch in the Red River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta.

The discussion also covered a draft agreement related to search and rescue cooperation at sea, which is scheduled to be signed and put into effect this year.

The two sides agreed that the sixth round of expert-level negotiations on the sea area off the Tonkin Gulf will be held in the second half of this year, while the other meeting to discuss cooperation on less sensitive issues at sea will be held in May in China. — VNS